1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording device which exposes a photosensitive material and forms an image thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, printing devices using digital exposure, i.e., digital photoprinters, carrying out the following operations have come to be put into practice. A digital photoprinter photoelectrically reads an image recorded on a film, converts the read image into a digital signal, and thereafter, carries out various image processings on the digital signal so as to prepare image data for recording. The digital photoprinter scan-exposes a photosensitive material by recording light which has been modulated on the basis of the image data, so as to record an image (latent image) on the photosensitive material. The digital photoprinter then subjects the photosensitive material to developing processing and outputs the image as a print (photograph).
Such a digital photoprinter is basically structured by an input device having a scanner (image reading device) and an image processing device; and an output device having a printing device (image recording device) and a developing device. At the scanner, projected light of an image photographed on a film is photoelectrically read at an image sensor such as a CCD sensor or the like, and is sent to the image processing device as image data (an image data signal) of the film. The image processing device carries out predetermined image processings on the image data, and sends the processed image data to the printing device as output image data (exposure conditions) for image recording. If the printing device is, for example, a device utilizing light beam scan-exposure, the printing device deflects, in a main scanning direction, a light beam which has been modulated on the basis of the supplied image data, and conveys a photographic printing paper in a subscanning direction which is orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The printing device thereby forms a latent image on the photographic printing paper. The printing device also records predetermined items on the reverse surface of the photographic printing paper as a back print. In the developing device, a predetermined developing processing and the like are carried out on the exposed photographic printing paper, so as to form a print in which the image which was photographed on the film is reproduced.
Image recording devices have been proposed which aim to improve the printing speed (the image recording speed) by conveying sheet-shaped photographic printing papers in plural rows in the subscanning direction and scanning (exposing) a light beam in the main scanning direction.
In this case, in order to convey the sheet-shaped photographic printing papers in plural rows, structures such as the following have been proposed for example. In one such structure, a plurality of photosensitive material magazines are disposed in parallel, and the photographic printing paper which is supplied from each magazine is cut to a predetermined length such that sheet-shaped photographic printing papers are formed, and the sheet-shaped photographic printing papers are conveyed side by side. In another such structure, sheet-shaped photographic printing papers which are being conveyed in one row are distributed into plural rows by a distributing mechanism, e.g., a distributing mechanism using suction cups.
There have been proposed conventional image recording devices (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-202418 for example) which aim to improve the printing speed by, while conveying sheet-shaped photosensitive materials in plural rows in the subscanning direction (a multi-row conveying system), simultaneously form latent images on the plural photosensitive materials, and carry out a predetermined developing processing and the like so as to reproduce images photographed on a film (i.e., so as to record images).
However, the type of device which has the plural magazines has the problem that, because plural magazines are needed, the device becomes large. Moreover, when the distributing mechanism is used, the mechanism is complex, and a problem arises in that control also becomes complex.
There are cases in which, among the plural photosensitive materials which are being conveyed in parallel, photosensitive materials do not exist at some of the rows, and the photosensitive materials exist in a state of being offset toward one longitudinal direction end portion of the conveying rollers.
As shown in FIG. 18, when a photosensitive material 200, which is being conveyed in a multi-row conveying system, is offset toward one longitudinal direction end portion of conveying rollers, an imbalance arises in the nipping force of a pair of conveying rollers 202, 204, by which nipping force the photosensitive material 200 is nipped.
Elastic members 206, such as helical tension springs or the like, are suspended between the respective rotating shafts projecting from the both end portions of the pair of conveying rollers 202, 204. Due to the urging forces of these elastic members 206, nipping force is generated at the photosensitive material 200 nipped between the pair of conveying rollers 202, 204.
Thus, when the photosensitive material 200 is offset toward one side of the pair of conveying rollers 202, 204, a space arises between the conveying rollers 202, 204 at the side where the photosensitive material 200 is nipped. The further toward the other side, the more this gap between the conveying rollers 202, 204 narrows, and the conveying rollers 202, 204 rotate while contacting one another.
Namely, the conveying rollers 202, 204 rotate while contacting the photosensitive material 200, in a state in which there is an imbalance in the nipping force nipping the photosensitive material 200 because the rotating shafts of the pair of conveying rollers 202, 204 are not parallel. Thus, a problem arises in that the photosensitive material 200 cannot be correctly conveyed in a predetermined direction.
In particular, at the time of carrying out exposure processing, when the nipping force becomes unbalanced at a subscanning section at which precise conveying is required, a problem arises in that it is not possible to convey the photosensitive material 200 straight, and the image formed on the photosensitive material 200 is adversely affected.
In order to overcome the above-described drawbacks, an object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device in which photographic printing papers can be distributed into plural rows by a simple structure.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an image recording device which can properly convey a photosensitive material which is being conveyed on a conveying path.
A first aspect of the present invention is an image recording device for exposing a photosensitive material, which is being conveyed, and recording an image on the photosensitive material, said image recording device comprising: a housing for housing the photosensitive material; a conveying path of the photosensitive material, which includes an intersection region, extends in a first direction towards the intersection region, and at the intersection region, further extends in a second direction, which intersects the first direction; a first conveying mechanism for pulling the photosensitive material out from the housing, conveying the photosensitive material in the first direction along the conveying path, and positioning at least one photosensitive material sheet at the intersection region; and a second conveying mechanism for conveying the at least one photosensitive material sheet, which is at the intersection region, from the intersection region in the second direction along the conveying path. The conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path.
The photosensitive material which is housed in the housing may be an elongated photosensitive material that is wound up. The first conveying mechanism may include a cutting tool for cutting the photosensitive material, which has been pulled out from the housing, so as to make the photosensitive material into at least one photosensitive material sheet having a desired length.
The first conveying mechanism may position a plurality of photosensitive recording sheets, which have been cut, at different positions over the intersection region.
The cutting tool may be disposed upstream, with respect to the first direction, of the intersection region, and successively carries out a cutting operation while the photosensitive material is being conveyed by the first conveying mechanism. Or, a plurality of cutting tools may be disposed at the intersection region, and may cut the photosensitive material after the photosensitive material reaches the intersection region.
The image recording device may further comprises a guide for positioning, with respect to the second conveying direction, the at least one photosensitive material sheet conveyed to the intersection region.
The photosensitive material, which is housed in the housing (housing means) such as a magazine or the like, can be conveyed by the first conveying mechanism to a plurality of conveying positions on the conveying path (the second conveying path) relative to the first direction which intersects the conveying path (the first conveying path). By the first conveying mechanism, the plurality of photosensitive materials can be distributed to (disposed at) the plurality of conveying positions on the conveying path. Next, due to the distributed plurality of photosensitive materials being conveyed by the second conveying mechanism in the second direction along the conveying path (the second conveying path), the photosensitive materials can be conveyed in plural rows toward the exposure position.
In this way, merely by conveying the photosensitive material sheets in the first direction by the first conveying mechanism, the plurality of photosensitive material sheets can be disposed (distributed) in parallel at a plurality of different positions on the conveying path which extends in the second direction which intersects the first direction. Namely, at the region on the conveying path where the first direction and the second direction intersect (the intersection region), the respective photosensitive material sheets are disposed in parallel with respect to the second direction. The photosensitive materials which are disposed in parallel can be conveyed in plural rows toward the exposure position merely by being conveyed in the second direction by the second conveying mechanism.
Moreover, conveyance for large-sized photosensitive material or conveyance of photosensitive material at an inactive time can be made single-row conveyance. Switching of this kind of conveyance can be performed simply.
The image recording device is provided with a cutter (cutting means) which cuts the elongated photosensitive material, which has been housed in the housing and pulled out to a predetermined length by the first conveying mechanism, so as to form sheet-shaped photosensitive materials of desired widths.
The cutter successively cuts the photosensitive material synchronously with the conveying of the photosensitive material by the first conveying mechanism, i.e., the cutter operates at predetermined timings while the photosensitive material is being conveyed.
The cutter successively cuts the photosensitive material into predetermined widths, synchronously with the conveying of the photosensitive material by the first conveying mechanism. Therefore, the cutting operation can be carried out in parallel with the distributing operation. Namely, the speed of the distributing processing is improved.
The cutter may cut the elongated photosensitive material at plural positions after the elongated photosensitive material has reached any of plural conveying positions on the conveying path by the first conveying mechanism. In this way, the cutter can make the elongated photosensitive material into a plurality of sheet-shaped photosensitive materials which are positioned at the plural conveying positions.
After the elongated photosensitive material which has been pulled-out from the housing is conveyed by the first conveying mechanism to any of the plural conveying positions, the cutter cuts the photosensitive material at a plurality of positions. In this way, sheet-shaped photosensitive materials which are cut to predetermined widths are in a state of being disposed (distributed) at the respective conveying positions. Namely, due to the cutter cutting the photosensitive material at the plural positions after the leading end of the elongated photosensitive material has been conveyed to any of the plural conveying positions on the conveying path, the operation of forming the sheet-shaped photosensitive materials of predetermined sizes, and the operation of distributing the photosensitive materials to the plural conveying positions, can be carried out simultaneously.
A guide is provided at the intersection region. The guide carries out positioning, with respect to the second conveying direction, of the photosensitive materials which have been conveyed to the conveying positions by the first conveying mechanism.
Due to the guide carrying out positioning, in the second direction, of the photosensitive materials which have been conveyed to the conveying positions on the conveying path by the first conveying mechanism, for example, the leading ends of the plural rows of photosensitive materials which are conveyed can be aligned. As a result, the photosensitive materials can be conveyed accurately, and recording of images of high image quality is possible.
A second aspect of the present invention is an image recording device for exposing a photosensitive material, which is being conveyed, and recording an image on the photosensitive material, said image recording device comprising: a housing for housing sheets of the photosensitive material; a conveying path of the photosensitive material, which includes an intersection region, extends in a first direction towards the intersection region, and at the intersection region, further extends in a second direction, which intersects the first direction; a first conveying mechanism for pulling the sheets of the photosensitive material out from the housing, conveying the sheets in the first direction along the conveying path, and positioning the sheets at respectively different conveying positions at the intersection region; and a second conveying mechanism for conveying the sheets of the photosensitive material, which are at the intersection region, from the intersection region and in the second direction along the conveying path.
The housing houses the sheets of the photosensitive material, which have been cut in advance to predetermined lengths.
In the above-described first aspect or second aspect, the image recording device may further comprise a position controller for controlling the positioning carried out by the first conveying mechanism, wherein the second conveying mechanism includes at least one pair of rollers, which are substantially orthogonal to the second direction and comprise peripheral surfaces of predetermined widths, and in a case in which plural sheets, which have substantially equal lengths relative to the second conveying direction, are nipped and conveyed in parallel by the at least one pair of rollers, the position controller positions the sheets such that a center of gravity of at least one sheet is positioned at one side and a center of gravity of at least one other sheet is positioned at another side, with respect to a line, which extends in the second direction and passes through a substantially central portion of a widthwise direction of the at least one pair of rollers.
Photosensitive material sheets, which have substantially equal lengths relative to the conveyance direction should be understood to include photosensitive material sheets, which have essentially equal lengths, and photosensitive material sheets, in the lengths of which some unevenness has been caused by errors at a time of cutting.
With such a structure, when the conveying rollers nip and convey the photosensitive materials, the balance of the nipping force applied to the respective photosensitive materials is maintained, and the photosensitive materials can be properly conveyed rectilinearly along the conveying path.
Moreover, the image recording device may further comprise a position controller for controlling the positioning carried out by the first conveying mechanism, wherein the second conveying mechanism includes at least one pair of rollers, which are substantially orthogonal to the second direction and have peripheral surfaces of predetermined widths, and in a case in which only a single sheet is conveyed by the at least one pair of rollers, the position controller positions the sheet such that one portion of the sheet travels on a line, which extends in the second direction and passes through a substantially central portion of a widthwise direction of the at least one pair of rollers.
With such a structure, when the conveying rollers nip and convey the photosensitive material, the balance of the nipping force applied to the photosensitive material is maintained stable, and the photosensitive material can be properly conveyed rectilinearly along the conveying path.
In addition, the image recording device may further comprise: a memory device for storing image data of images, which are to be recorded on photosensitive materials and belong to one group, and storing designated size information for the respective images; and an order controller for controlling an order of processing for image recording, wherein, on the basis of the size information, the order controller determines an order of image recording within the group such that processing of images of substantially the same size is executed in succession.
In accordance with the above structure, when image forming processing of plural photosensitive materials of different print sizes is carried out in the image recording device, cases in which plural photosensitive materials cannot be simultaneously conveyed on the conveying path are kept to a minimum, and the chances to simultaneously process a predetermined plural number of photosensitive materials are increased. In this way, a plurality of photosensitive materials can be processed efficiently, the speed relating to the processing is increased, and productivity is increased.
xe2x80x9cSubstantially the same sizexe2x80x9d means that lengths in the print conveyance direction are essentially equal. Length in the width direction may be different or length in the conveyance direction may include permissible errors in production.